Best Horse Health Advice for Equine Ringworm

Thursday 25 November 2010

The horse health issue of equine ringworm is a fungal infection of horse skin, hair or hooves. The sores are contagious between horses, but also from horse to human. The infection can also be carried in bedding and tack, so it can be tricky to get rid of. Find out how you can treat horses and ponies with this condition.

Treatment

Treatments that are administered provide relief but do not actually cure the disease. The infection will clear itself up eventually on its own. You can identify ringworm by swollen skin, hair loss and painful lesions. Action you can take is to keep all horses, humans and stables free from contamination.

Start treatment by removing encrusted scabs of the sores. Apply antifungal product with a soft brush or sponge. Continue this everyday for a week, then twice a week for two months afterwards. Always wash your hands thoroughly before coming into contact with other horses. You should continue the treatment for two weeks after the visible signs are gone.

Decontaminate

For the best horse care, you will need to deeply clean everything that your infected horse has come into contact with. This can be done with a 5-10% bleach solution. Be sure to clean all grooming equipment, tack and rugs. Use a 5% lime sulphur or iodine solution on bedding and floors.